Wednesday, 30 September 2015

I thought I would give you an insight into my favorite book tubers. Each month I will give you a new book tuber to take a look at. These tubers inspire me to keep reading. I like to flick on a reviewer and take a look at what they have read for the month. They often have 'to be reads' and 'book marathons'. I watch them and add new books to my Goodreads shelves. Seriously, my Goodreads shelves just keep growing. They seem to have minds of their own!

This month I am giving you 'The little book owl'. I have been watching her reviews for a while now. She must read all the time! What I like most about this book tuber is her variety and the fact that she consistently places new videos to her channel.

Saturday, 26 September 2015

My son got this from the library just so I could read it and blog it. It was a good choice. It is a good presentation of the effects of the Vietnam war on family and boys in general. Leigh and Jason are two brothers. They are typical boys of the time, including spending much of their time together. Leigh's friends get called up for service but go into hiding. When Jason is called up he decides to go and serve. Leigh is angry. It was quite good to see this side of war written into a children's book for today. Many of our boys don't understand the effects of such an event. Computer games and nerf guns are full of strategy and excitement. I see the men presented in movies as being portrayed as taking off on adventure too. In reality these young men must have been far from excited as the war took over the nations. That is the reason I liked this book. The boys were against war. Their friends had gone into hiding. Beliefs were expressed. Yet Jason still ventured of to serve for his nation.

The pictures are expressive giving each page feeling. Different from beautiful graphics that I adore in children picture books but they tell the story with feeling, sometimes more so than the words. They are perfect for such a story.

For any boy, like mine. that enjoys computer games and movies yet still enjoys running around with his mates outside with the nerf guns... This book is for them. It is more than history presented in a picture book. It is the presentation of the emotion behind each boy that went to war all those years ago.

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

An Introduction to the New Testament and the Origins of Christianity
Author: Delbert Burkett
ISBN: 978-0-521-00720-7
Pages: 600

There is quite a bit of reading in this one!

This was a text book for one of the university papers. It was really interesting to look at the details of Christianity. To look at the history of writings. To think of the people involved. To examine the communities. Where were the scrolls found? What did the towns look like? All things that had never crossed my mind.

That was until this paper was presented them to me. To study education, you really should look also at the people you will be teaching. Ethnicity, race and religion all make us different, but really we are all people. I don't want to be one that lives with judgement and prejudice. Taking this paper made me look at the people involved in the writing of the bible. I had seen programs on TV but compared to historical photos... there is no comparison.

Taking this paper involved a lot of study. They didn't go light on us at all. But I am glad I had the chance to look historically upon events that have shaped communities for centuries. There is a heap of writing in this text but I am sure you won't be disappointed in the history you will devour picking it up.

This was available from: Fishpond, Book depository and Amazon.

Although this is available in kindle format I don't recommend it in comparison to the printed book. This is because of the pictures. There really is value in seeing the photos on paper. Your decision though.

Tuesday, 15 September 2015

It's almost October again. That means spring is here! That is, in the country that I live. What is it like where are? It's so wonderful to see that so many people are looking in on my reviews, from all over the world. Thank you to all of you that keep me reviewing because I know your checking in on what I have been reading.

Anyway, I have just had a week off studying and caught up on some of the reading I really wanted to do. I started reading this for my assignment, which is an ethnic relations paper. I had to look at one of the ethnic groups in our country (There are many different ethnicity's here) and I choose to research Asians. I found it so interesting to look at another culture rather than just what the media has to say. Well my research lead me to Amy Chua's book. I had to go back and read it while I was on a break. This book will really get you thinking. You will read the comparisons she makes between her upbringing and parenting, and those of Western children and parenting. Interesting!

When this book hit the book stores there was much controversy. It really looks at two totally different beliefs on parenting. Now I would have had my opinion years ago too, but as I get older and raise my own children, I have become much less judgemental. Why do we look so much at what everyone else is doing and become so opinionated that we have to judge every dynamic of another life? This is what doing this ethnic paper and reading this book got me thinking about. We all come from different back grounds. Amy Chua wrote of her beliefs and parenting style and her daughter writes to defend her as she gets knocked down for being so strict. Her girls didn't get play dates but they got a family and great education. She didn't give them sleepovers but she gave them opportunities for adulthood. Yes she was extremely strict. Way beyond that which I was bought up with, but some her reasoning made sense.

If you read this book do so without judging. Take a look at different cultures and see what they are doing that is successful. Then look at your own culture and see what you think they are doing right. Maybe if we mixed it all together we could all get it right. What is right?

Has this got you thinking yet.

Have have great week and enjoy the people around you that make a difference.

This was a hit with my kids. They were disappointed to have it end. Locic to the rescue was written to introduce logical fallacies and basic science to kids. It does a tremendous job of doing so.

When Nikki makes a mistake during a debating competition she runs to escape everyone. In a cupboard she is taken by two imps to a different realm. The king asks her to help save the realm from superstition which has dominated the realm. She encounters everyone wearing odd socks to prevent sickness, spending their money on wishes and that is just a taste of the stupidity the realm is under. As the book progresses the author intertwines many logical fallacies in an enjoyable story. The second half of the book is an introduction to science and chemistry. This got son thinking and seeking out many things to attempt the things in the story. ﻿

My kids and I recommend this book to everyone with kids. If your a teacher then check it out. If your a kid then pick it up and read it.

I read this from my kindle which meant we could look up the chemicals and fallacies. I looked into where to get it from and could only find it through Amazon so if anyone can find it else where the place a comment below for us all

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About Me

This started as a university project and has since evolved. It has become a family favourite as my children wait to read my next post. They continually seek out new titles for me review and its been a great encouragement to their reading. I have conversed with many new authors and have found reading their books extremely inspiring. It is these great authors and my children, that keep me reading and reviewing the awesome aray of books and suggestions I receive.
As I take my joy of reading to the world, I hope that one day it will be my students books that I will be reviewing.